The International Criminal Court in Cartoons

By Caitlin Schweiger, Benjamin B. Ferencz Fellow in Human Rights and Law and

Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., Executive Director

The purpose of a political cartoon is not only to amuse. A good political cartoon makes you think about current events and persuades you to take a particular point of view.  Political cartoons aren’t in the comics section of the news; they’re on the op-ed pages.

We invite you to enjoy these cartoons about the ICC and to appreciate the techniques that the artists employ to convey complicated issues through caricature, analogy, irony, exaggeration, and symbolism.

We provide a quick summary in words of the issue that the cartoonist addresses vividly in pictures.

Cartoon: Victor Ndula

The ICC is criticized for examining situations only in Africa, here arbitrarily choosing to indict  Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and Jean-Pierre Bemba from Congo.

Cartoon: Bruce Petty

The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty governing the ICC, based on the US assumption of leadership in human rights and law and the view that, as the biggest player on the world stage, the US doesn’t have to be subjected to any external body.

Cartoon: Godfrey Mwampembwa

Despite blood on his hands, President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria has had impunity for the crimes against humanity and war crimes that his regime has perpetrated for many years because Syria is not a party to the Rome Statute and the ICC and he cannot be indicted.

Cartoon: Victor Ndula

It takes great courage for witnesses to come forward to testify when threats of intimidation are great, even including assassination.

Cartoon: Alphonce Omondi

The African Union threatened a collective withdrawal of all AU-member countries, which failed to materialize.

Cartoon: Patrick Chappatte

John Bolton, U.S. National Security Advisor, has spoken out vehemently against the ICC for a potential investigation into U.S. complicity in war crimes in Afghanistan; that investigation has been dismissed.

Cartoon: Khalil Bendib

The ICC issued indictments against Omar al-Bashir, then-President of Sudan, in 2008 and 2009 for crimes against humanity and genocide. He has been removed from office and the new government refuses to turn him over to the ICC, instead promising to try him in Sudan.

Cartoon: Mohamed Jumanne

The UN has been unable to take action against ISIS and is hoping that the ICC may do so.

Cartoon: Brandon Reynolds

Heads of state are not given immunity from ICC prosecution.  Here, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda bemoans the fact that leaders from Sudan and Kenya are simultaneously indicted for mass crimes while having top governmental and AU roles.